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(Nov 29, 2012 Hartford, CT.) - Police Chief James C. Rovella will host a ceremony on Friday, November 30, 2012, beginning at 2:00 p.m., in the Atrium of Hartford City Hall, to promote five current members of the HPD to the rank of deputy chief and four officers to the rank of sergeant.

Chief Rovella will be joined at the ceremony by Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra.

Deputy Chief of Police Neville A. BrooksAppointed a Hartford Police Officer in September of 1994, Deputy Chief Brooks was assigned to the Patrol Division before joining the Street Crimes Unit. As a detective he was assigned to the Major Crimes Division. In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and assigned as a supervisory investigator with the Internal Affairs Division. He also served as a supervisor with the Vice and Narcotics Division, Major Crimes Division, the Disorder Control Team, Emergency Response Team, Hostage Negotiation Team, the Court Liaison and Warrant Unit, and commanded the K-9 Unit. Promoted to Lieutenant in 2007, Deputy Chief Brooks was assigned as C-Squad Watch Commander, then Commander of the Detention Facility, Bicycle Unit, Special Events and the Internal Affairs Division. Deputy Chief Brooks is a past President of the Police Benevolent Association, has served as a former Board Member of the Hartford Police Federal Credit Union. He has also served as an EAP Peer Contact, been active with the Police Explorer Program, and was an adjunct Instructor with the Hartford Police Academy.

Deputy Chief of Police Joseph J. Buyak Deputy Chief Joseph Buyak was born and raised in Hartford, attended local public schools, and graduated from South Catholic High School in 1980. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1979 as a member of Boy Scouts of America Troop 105 in Hartford’s Southend. A thirty year veteran, Chief Buyak joined the Hartford Police Department on December 19, 1983. He has served with the Field Services Bureau and in a variety of Patrol Division assignments focused on crime suppression and vice and narcotics interdiction. In March of 1992, Chief Buyak was promoted to the rank of sergeant, in 1995 to lieutenant, and in 2001 he was promoted to the rank of Captain. Chief Buyak has held numerous command level positions including Evening Watch Commander, Commander of the Crimes Against Persons Division, South Police Service Area Executive Officer, Commander of the Investigative Services Bureau, Commander of Inspections, Ombudsman, Commander of the Southeast Police District and currently Commander of the Northwest Police District. He is the recipient of numerous Hartford Police commendations and holds a degree in criminal justice. Chief Buyak’s family has a long history of service with the Hartford Police Department that includes his grandfather, brother and sister, uncle and numerous cousins.

Deputy Chief of Police Emory Hightower, Jr.Born and raised in Hartford, Deputy Chief Hightower graduated from Annie Fisher Elementary, Fox Middle, and Weaver High Schools. He was appointed a Hartford Police Officer in April of 1994, and was subsequently assigned to the South PSA Operations and Community Service area. As a sergeant he served with the Patrol Division and as a supervising sergeant with the Hartford Police Academy as the recruit and citizen academy coordinator. He also has served as a POST Certified Instructor and taught various law enforcement subjects at the Bridgeport, Meriden, and New Britain Police Academies as both a sergeant and lieutenant. In 2006 Deputy Chief Hightower supervised the Northeast Violence Reduction Initiative and in 2007 he supervised Operation True North. As a lieutenant he commanded Zone 4 in the Northeast Police District and supervised and coordinated the Weed and Seed Program, during which he initiated a quality of life inspection team made up of all city departments. Deputy Chief Hightower has also served as an Evening Watch Commander. He is a former supervisory instructor for the Gang Resistance and Education and Training Program (GREAT). He currently is assigned to the ATF Task Force, the Hartford Shooting Task Force Cold Case Unit. Deputy Chief Hightower attended Trinity College and is currently studying organizational management at Charter Oak State College.

Deputy Chief of Police William F. Long IIIDeputy Chief Long joined the Hartford Police Department in 1994 and has moved up through the ranks from patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. As a patrolman he served with the Field Services Bureau and Street Crimes Unit. Appointed detective in 1999, he was assigned to the Juvenile Investigative Division and became a supervisor in that division when promoted to sergeant in 2001. He also served as a sergeant in the Traffic Division and Field Services Bureau. As a lieutenant, Deputy Chief Long commanded Zone 1 in the Northwest District and the highly successful Operation True North in 2006. He has served on the Disorder Control Team, as a voting member of the Accident Review Board, on the HPD Uniform Committee, and is a certified bicycle patrol officer. Promoted to the rank of captain in 2011, he currently serves as Headquarters Commander. Deputy Chief Long is the recipient of 3 Exemplary Service Awards, 2 Chief’s Letter of Commendation, 4 Merit Awards, and 3 State Police Unit Citations. He is also the recipient of a Presidential Debate Citation and a State of Connecticut General Assembly Official Citation. Trained in Critical Incident Management, Deputy Chief Long is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Clemson University.Deputy Chief of Police Luis A. RodriguezDeputy Chief Rodriguez joined the Hartford Police Department in 1994 and was assigned to the Patrol Division and Street Crimes Unit. In 1999 he was appointed a detective and served with the Vice & Narcotics Division and Statewide Narcotics Task Force. After his promotion to Sergeant in 2000, Deputy Chief Rodriguez was assigned to the Internal Affairs Division; he also served with the North and South Community Response Divisions, Intelligence Division, Northeast Violence Initiative and the Major Crimes Division, and supervised the Emergency Response and Disorder Control Teams, and the HPD Honor Guard. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2006 and assumed Command of the Vice & Narcotics Division, after which he commanded the Intelligence Division and the Inspections Bureau. Deputy Chief Rodriguez has also served on the Crisis Negotiation Team and as an instructor at the Hartford Police Academy. An eight year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Deputy Chief Rodriguez served on active duty with an anti-terrorism unit in Europe and in California with a Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable deployed to the Los Angeles riots in the early 1990’s. Deputy Chief Rodriguez has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Tunxis Community College.

To be promoted to the rank of Sergeant:Officer Julie T. HolmesOfficer William D. Labelle-BoucherDetective Sean Patrick MichelOfficer Paul West